Courtney Louise Claussen

Courtney Louise Claussen was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 1, 1956. She grew up in Littleton and Greenwood Village, Colorado, with her five younger siblings. She attended Kent Denver High School before spreading her wings and moving to the East Coast to attend Smith College. Graduating in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, she spent the next 14 years in the Boston area. Brilliant in math and science, she earned her master’s degree in software engineering from the Wang Institute in 1985 and began a long career in software technology. She eventually returned to the Denver area in 1992, and worked for New Era of Networks, Sybase, and finally SAP. She married and had two daughters. She divorced in 2009 and retired at the age of sixty-three. Along with her superb career, her days were filled with friends and hobbies, and she rarely spent a week without a match of tennis, a song on the piano, a run, a bike ride, or a book in her hand.

In August 2020, during the pandemic, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Ironically, the final years of her life were in many ways the most meaningful and rewarding. Despite the emotional and physical suffering that accompanies cancer, she built stronger relationships with friends and family, learned how to play bridge, went on amazing adventures (US national parks, Norway, and an African safari), served as a beloved and inspirational cancer mentor through Imerman Angels, and even published two children’s books on amazon.com (“Daisy and the Snail”, books 1 and 2. Check them out. Kids seem to enjoy them). Courtney is remembered for her independence, optimism, great sense of humor, and, above all, her heart.

She is survived by her siblings Gentry Claussen, Stuart Claussen, Cameron Claussen, and Chase Claussen, and her two daughters, Coryell Blatherwick, and Eloise Blatherwick, who were the joy and light of her life.

A funeral service will be held at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary & Cemetery, located at 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 80121, United States. The service is scheduled for February 20, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

Following the funeral service, a reception will take place at the same location from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.